"It was a remarkably sudden conversion by the President from an attitude of, you know, 'Up yours, I don’t need you' to 'I want to get together and talk with all of you.'”

BRIT HUME: It was a remarkably sudden conversion by the President from an attitude of, you know, “Up yours, I don’t need you” to “I want to get together and talk with all of you.” Of course, the leaders, the Republican leaders in Congress were I think smart enough not to act skeptical about it, and they all said they thought this was fine and good and the more the better.

But I think in the end you have to ask yourself this question, Bret, and it is simply this: Is it likely that President Obama will make any major concessions on the entitlement programs without more new taxes? And is it, or, on the other side of that of course is will Republicans be willing to go along with more new taxes to get reforms in the entitlement programs?

I think, you know, unless you can answer yes to one of those questions or both of them, the chances of a deal in the end seem – of any size – seem to me to be a little bit remote despite all the, all of the atmospherics that we’re seeing now.